Ricky Hatton of England is known as a boxer who will answer any and all questions and be respectful while doing so. But he got a little heated during a recent interview while discussing his 10th-round technical-knockout loss to Floyd Mayweather Jr. in December 2007 at MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

Hatton will square off with Manny Pacquiao in the junior welterweight main event Saturday at MGM (on HBO pay-per-view). It will be Hatton’s fifth fight in Sin City, but just his second of massive proportions. In his first, some 35,000 Brits crossed the pond only to see their man – either in person or on closed-circuit television – pulverized by Mayweather.

To that end, Hatton was asked how imperative it is that he have a better showing this time around in another high-profile bout in the fight capital of the world.

“Well, it’s very important because if I perform like I did last time, I’ll get beat again,” he said. “To be honest, it’s fairly obvious answers, really, that I’m giving you.

“And now from the question you’ve asked me, of course, I mean, you’d have to be stupid to say that it’s not the most important fight. Of course it is. It’s for the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world title. But since I’ve boxed in the States, I’ve won two world titles in two weight divisions and, you know, brought all these fans.

“And I’d like to think I’ve brought some of the best atmosphere fights that Vegas has seen in recent years.”

Yes, he has, which makes one wonder just how big of a burden is on his shoulders to come up with a different result this time. Sure, Hatton is 3-1 in Vegas fights. But the victories have come against Juan Urango, a past-his-prime Jose Luis Castillo and Paulie Malignaggi.

Nothing wrong with those victories. But clump them all into one ball and they don’t amount to what a victory over Mayweather would have meant, or what one over Pacquiao would mean.

And in spite of the love his fans show him, certainly they don’t want to travel thousands of miles only to again watch their hero get smacked around.

“There is a lot of pressure in this fight for Ricky since he is fighting the best pound-for-

Mayweather was considered by most to be the No.1 pound-for-pound fighter in the world when he thrashed Hatton. Pacquiao is the current pound-for-pound champion.

But Hatton, 30, doesn’t understand all the talk about pressure.

“Mayweather’s beaten everybody else,” he said. “I don’t think I should feel ashamed (of) my performance against Mayweather. I’ve got one of the best records in boxing I think, 45 and 1, four world titles, two weight divisions. Yeah, granted, I got beat by Mayweather. But I get the impression, you know, they’re downing the important things.

“I think I’ve done very well in my career. I’ve beat some of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world. Kostya Tszyu was No.2 at the time in the pound-for-pound rankings when … I took his (junior welterweight) title.

Floyd Mayweather Sr., the flamboyant and self-professed world’s best trainer, became Hatton’s chief cornerman for Hatton’s 11th-round stoppage of Malignaggi in November. Although Hatton didn’t have to worry much about getting knocked out by the light-hitting Malignaggi, Hatton nevertheless looked more technically sound than he ever has.

Mayweather’s presence could help Hatton avoid another one-sided setback.

“I taught Ricky how to box,” Mayweather said. “Ricky didn’t know anything. He has brute strength. When I first went down to England for him, you know, it was horrendous. But you look at him today, he’s totally different. And that totally different gonna be explosive on May 2.”

The atmosphere in the arena figures to be explosive, too, what with the fanatical followings of Hatton and Pacquiao. But whereas Pacquiao has won several huge fights in Vegas – over Juan Manuel Marquez, Marco Antonio Barrera, Erik Morales and Oscar De La Hoya – Hatton has not.

“It is important for him to make a good showing,” HBO analyst Larry Merchant said, “to show that he’s not just an elite attraction and an elite personality with a fan base that is as amazing as anything I’ve seen in the sport, but that he is an elite fighter.”

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